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I am curious to see how many of you switches from external martial art styles (e.g. Karate) to more internal oriented styles (e.g. Aikido), and what prompted you to make that switch.

Please excuse my limited knowledge of Japanese martial arts, as I use Karate and Aikido as simplified examples, and maybe both have external / internal-focuses sub-styles.

I am primarily trained in Chinese martial arts. I used to study Shaolin, Qin-Na, Sanda, and Jeet Kune Do when I was young, but I switched to internal arts when I turned 30. Currently I am learning Chen Style Hunyuan Tai Chi under Master Wang Feng Ming, a disciple of late Grandmaster Feng Zhi Qiang. (He teaches in NJ, NY, and CT.)

Switching to internal martial arts is a big commitment for me, as the payoff does not come immediately. So I'd like to hear your comments on the pros and cons of different styles, as you have seen more than one style already and probably have more balanced viewpoint than a single-style practitioner.

IMHO, its was evolution over time to include internal training and see it in the external applications, so I didn't switch per say, but continue to train/refine and add to. Its a growing movement in Aikido.

Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!